Knockdown chair



Feb. 1, 1955 P. M. RICHARD 2,701,009

KNOCKDOWN CHAIR Filed May 12, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet l /f-/ l/ l Feb. 1, 1955 P. M. RICHARD KNOCKDOWN CHAIR Filed May 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O KNOCKDOWN CHAIR Peter M. Richard, St. Louis, Mo.

Application May 12, 1953, Serial No. 354,615

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-496) My invention relates to knockdown furniture and more particularly to a chair which may be converted into a stool, or a table.

An object of the invention is to provide a knockdown chair which, when in its knockdown form, may be easily carried by hand similar to a suit-case.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a chair having a compartment formed in the seat structure thereof to receive the legs and the back rest structure when the chair is disassembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong durable chair of simple construction which can be produced at low cost.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a chair which may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a view, in perspective, of a chair, in its assemn bled position, embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view, in perspective, of the chair in its knockdown condition, and packaged, so to speak, so that it may be carried by a handle.

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of the chair similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but looking toward the opposite side.

Fig. 4 is a detail showing a supporting leg in operative position.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a supporting leg locked to the seat structure.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the back rest in operative position and locked to the seat structure.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the upper end of one of the supporting legs.

Fig. 8 is a modified form of connecting the supporting leg to the seat structure.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of one corner of the seat structure.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown an embodiment of my invention, the reference numeral 10 designates, generally, a seat structure; the numeral 11 designates the supporting legs therefor; and, 12 designates, generally, a back rest structure.

The seat structure comprises a hollow body embodying a bottom member 13, a back wall member 14, side wall members 15, spaced apart front wall members 16, and a top seat member 17. The bottom and top seat members are suitably secured to, and spaced apart, by the back, side and front seat members to provide a seat structure having a compartment 18 for the purpose of storing, or containing the supporting legs 11 and the back rest structure 12 when the chair is knocked down or disassembled. The spaced apart front wall members provide for a front opening 19 leading into the compartment 18.

The seat structure 10 is provided adjacent the corners thereof, and from the bottom face thereof with suitable leg receiving sockets designated, generally, as 20 to receive the reduced upper ends 21 of the supporting legs 11. The leg receiving sockets 20 are formed by the corner openings 22 in the bottom seat member 13 and the openings 23 formed at the ends of the side wall members 15. The reduced upper ends of the legs 11 provide shoulders 24 adapted to engage the bottom face of the bottom seat member 12 when the legs 11 are attached to the seat structure 10, as shown, in detail, in Fig. 4. The legs are each further provided in one face thereof with a notch 25 to form a horizontally disposed wall 26 adapted to be engaged by a suitable fastening device 27 pivoted to the bottom face of the bottom seat member 13, and which device 27 may engage the wall 26 of leg notch 25 to lock each in its operative position, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, and to release the legs for detachment from the seat structure.

The back rest structure 12 includes an elongated back rest member 28 having a cleat 29 secured to the back face of the lower end portion thereof to serve as a stop and to form a tongue 30 of the lower end of the member 28, as shown in detail in Fig. 6. The u pper end of the back rest member 28 is secured to the front face of crosspiece 31 which is adapted to serve as a closure for the opening 19 to the storage compartment, or chamber 18 within the seat structure.

When in operative position as a back rest, the tongue 30 passes downwardly through a slotted opening 32 in the top seat member 17 near the rear edge thereof and a slotted opening 33 in the bottom seat member 13 near the rear edge thereof and the lower face of the cleat rests upon the top seat member 13 to limit downward movement of the back rest member 28 relative to the seat structure.

T he lower, or tongue end 30 of the back rest member 28 is provided with a transverse slotted. opening 34 to receive a fastening member 35 pivoted to the lower seat member 13 to hold the back rest in operative position. When the back rest structure is removed from the operative position shown in Figs. 1 and 6, it may be stored in the compartment 18 and the cross-piece 31 serves as a closure for the compartment opening 19, as shown in Fig. 2. The cross-piece 31 is held in position in the opening 19 by suitable fastening devices 36 pivoted to the front wall members 16.

A suitable handle 37 is secured to one of the side walls 15 of the seat structure 12, so that the chair may be conveniently carried by one hand, in knockdown or disassembled form, stored away, or carried in the trunk of an automobile.

In a modified form of the invention, each leg 11 may be provided with a screw-threaded upper end 38 engageable in a screw socket member 39 carried by the side members 15, as disclosed in Fig. 8.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I provide a chair that may be easily and quickly assembled, knockdown or disassembled, and wherein the legs and the back rest structure may be stored away in the seat structure to form a relatively small package of the chair that can be carried similar to a suitcase. It will also be apparent that the seat structure and the legs may be used as a stool, or as a table when the back rest is removed from the seat structure.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled the art to which it appertains,

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described, is to be taken as an example only, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A structure of the character described comprising a seat structure, detachable supporting legs therefor, a back rest, the seat structure having a compartment therein open to one side thereof through which opening the compartment may receive the supporting legs and the back rest structure when the structure is disassembled, the back rest structure having a cross-piece adapted to serve as a closure for the opening to the seat compart ment when the back rest structure is contained in the compartment, and a handle secured to one of the side walls of the seat structure to facilitate carrying the same.

2. In a structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the seat structure is provided with corner sockets open to the lower face thereof adapted to receive reduced upper ends of the supporting legs, means for locking the supporting legs in position, and wherein the seat structure is provided with a slot to receive the lower end portion of a back rest structure, a cleat on the back to limit downward movement of the back rest structure, and means for locking the back rest structure in position on the seat structure.

3. A chair comprising a hollow seat structure, detachable supporting legs, and a back rest structure, the hollow seat comprising a bottom member having corner socket openings and a slotted opening between two of the corner openings, a top member having a slotted opening corresponding to the slotted opening in the bottom member, back and side wall members to which the bottom and top members are secured in spaced relation to provide a compartment in the seat structure, a pair of spaced front wall members to which the bottom and top members are secured providing thereby a front opening to the compartment, sockets formed at the ends of the side members to register with the corner openings in the bottom member, the supporting legs having reduced upper ends passable through the corner openings in the bottom member and engageable in the sockets at the ends of the side members, a back rest structure including a back rest member, a cross cleat near one end of the back rest member to provide a tongue at the lower end of the back rest member adapted to pass downwardly through the slotted openings in the top member so that the cleat may rest upon the top member of the seat structure, a cross-piece secured to the upper end of the back rest member, means for locking the legs in their operative positions, means for locking the back rest structure in its operative position, and means for locking the cross-piece of the backrest structure in the front wall opening of the seat structure when the back rest is contained in the compartment, and a handle secured to one of the side walls of the seat structure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 278,117 Flynn May 22, 1883 934,155 Friend Sept. 14, 1909 2,438,384 Broudy Mar. 23, 1948 2,491,676 Matthews Dec. 20, 1949 2,554,851 Borthwick May 29, 1951 2,598,385 Hume May 27, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,015 Great Britain 1906 

